Self closing and opening gate for elevators



A, R. FLIGOR.

SELF CLOSING AND OPENING GATE FOR ELEVATORS. APPUCATION F|LED.APB.29 I920.

1,407,138, Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

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A. R. FLIGOR.

SELF CLOSING AND OPENING GATE FOR ELEVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29, I920.

Patented-Feb. 21, 1922.

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SELF CLOSING AND OPENING GATE FOR ELEVATORS.

Patented Feb. 21-, 1922.

APPLICATION FILED 7 APR. 29,4920.

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ALBERT R. IELIGOR, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO MARY LOUISE FLIGOR, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO. a

SELF CLOSING AND OPENING GATE FOR ELEVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 2 1 1922.

Application filed April 29, 1920. Serial No. 377,485.

To all (whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT R. FLIGOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Self Closing and Opening Gates for Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to self-closing and opening gates for elevators, and the object of the invention is to prov1de a simple organization of parts adapted to be placed and fastened as a compact unit within the shaft of an elevator in a position to coact with operating parts mounted on a car so as to raise and lower a gate at each floor or landing in an automatic manner when the elevator ascends and descends.

In the drawings accompanying this application, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of an elevator shaft showing two landings and an elevator at one of the landings and with the operating parts of the invention holding a gate in a raised and open position. Fig. 2 is a front view, showing portions of the landing and gate and elevator in section. Fig. 3 is a plan view on line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the frame or unit which is adapted to be fastened to the side of the elevator shaft and which comprises separate tracks and a tube to guide and support the moving parts for the gate.

The invention comprises a unitary frame embodying a pair of horizontal metal bars 2 having end feet 3 adapted to be fastened to a wall or horizontal beams at one side of an elevator shaft. Bars 2 are connected by and support two angle-iron tracks 5 and 6 respectively, and also a tube 7 and this unitary frame is placed in a vertical position in the elevator shaft S at one side of and apart from the elevator or car E to permit the car to travel up and down in sliding contact with fixed side rails B. As shown, the horizontal bars 2 are of a length which requires said bars to extend back of and beyond the side rails R, but where such rails are not spaced apart from the side walls the said bars are made shorter to provide a foreshortened unitary frame as shown in Fig. 4, so that it may be mounted in its entirety on the side walls at the front side of the side rail R.

The gate G is mounted to slide within runways 9 above each landing L at the front side of shaft S, and a cable 10 is affixed to the gate and runs over a set of sheaves 11, 12 and 13 stationed above the landing, and preferably with sheave 13 carried or suspended from the lower bar 2 of the guide frame situated immediately above the gate 1n question, see Fig. 1. Cable 10 passes downwardly from pulley 13 to a sliding'shoe 14 adapted to travel on the first I-bar or track 5, and a continuing cable 15 passes downwardly from shoe 14 and around a sheave 13 and thence upwardly to a second shoe 16 adapted to travel on the second I-bar or track 6. A third cable or flexible connection 17 extends from shoe 16 to a pulley 18 on the rear end of the upper cross bar 2 and thence around a pulley 19 and downwardly to a weight 20 which is free to travel up and down within the guide tube 7. Weight 20 keeps the cable 15 taut; moves shoe 16 upwardly when shoe 14 is impelled downwardly; and it also acts to partly counterbalance the gate. That is, the gate G is not evenly counterbalanced as it is intended to drop by gravity in closing the entrance at the landing.

The closing of the gate is effected whenever the elevator moves in either direction away from the landing and the action is controlled by the shoes 14 and 16 and a pair of spring-pressed bolts 21 and 22 which are slidably supported in a horizontal position at one side of the elevator or car'E. Bolt 21 is fixed on the lower end of the car so as to travel with the car in line with and relatively close to guide bar 5 where the bolt may en age or be engaged by a beveled projection .43 on shoe 14, and the other bolt 22 is located at a higher point on the car adjacent the bar 6 and opposite line of travel of shoe 16'to engage or be engaged by a beveled projection 24 on said shoe 16, providing the bolt is not retired or withdrawn by-the turning of a rotatable handle 25 which is mounted on one side of the car and has a pair of arms 26 connected by links or cables 27 with the two bolts 21 and 23 respectively. When handle 25 is turned to retire both bolts the elevator will ascend and descend without operating the gate,but on turning handle 25 to permit the bolts to project into contact with the projections on the shoes the gate will be raised upon the approach of the elevator to a given landing, andlowered when the elevator either ascends or moves downwardly away from that land- 111 Assuming that the elevator E is at a landing as shown in Fig. 1 the gate G is held in a raised and open position by the bolts 21 and 22 which prevent the shoes 1% and 16 from sliding on the track under the weight of the gate. If the operator desires to lower the gate without starting the car he can turn handle 25 to withdraw the bolts whereupon the gate will descend by gravity. Of if the handle is not operated and the car is started, say in an upward direction, the gate will be released. by the movement of the car and will drop by gravity. In its initial movement the gate will first move upwardly with the car but only for a short distance, all as caused by bolt 22 raising shoe 16 along the curved portion 29 at the upper end of guide bar 6, w iich shunts or switches the shoe free from the bolt whereupon the gate G will drop by gravity. In this drop movement shoe 16 is caused to descend in guide bar 6 while shoe 1-1 moves upwardly in guide bar 5 and follows bolt 21 which rises with the car.

In starting the elevator downward from any given landing the bolt 21 forces shoe l4; downwardly on the lower curved portion 30 of guide bar 5 until the bolt is free from projection 23. In this initial movement gate G is raised a short distance but as soon as the bolt 21 is free the gate G will drop by gravity, and while the elevator continues todescend shoe 1a will move upwardly on guide bar 5 until the gate is closed and shoe 16 follows after bolt 22 as long as the elevator continues to. descend and until the gate is at rest.

v l/V hen the gate is closed shoe ll is in a raised position on track 5 and shoe 16 is lowered on track 6. Therefore, when the elevator in descending approaches a landing, shoe 14: is the first to be engaged and the gate will be raised by the forced movement of shoe let downwardly on track 5. In the meantime shoe 16 is forced to travel upwardly on guide 6 and must pass bolt 22, and such passing is facilitated by the beveled side of projection 24 whichis adapted to force, the bolt back while the shoe is being pulled upwardly by weight 20.

hen the gate is closed shoe 16 is at the lower end. of its track 6, and consequently the elevator in approaching the landing from below causes the bolt 22 to. first engage projection 2d and to lift shoe 16 and the gate G. In the meantime shoe 14 is carried downwardly on its track until its beveled projection 23 has forced bolt 21 back and the car is level with the landing as shown in Fig. 1, where the gate is raised and in position to be lowered regardless of whether the elevator moves up or down away from the landing.

What I claim is:

1. A unitary frame adapted to be stationed within an elevator shaft comprising a tube and vertical tracks with diverging ends and sheaves opposite said: ends, in co1nbination with a sliding gate opposite said shaft, a weight within said tube, separate sliding shoes upon said tracks having beveled projections, flexible connections forsaid shoes and weight and gate, in running engagement with said sheaves, and a pair of bolts having a common operating connection, said bolts being mounted on the elevator car and adapted to engage said projections and operate said shoes.

2. In a self-opening and closing gate for elevators, a frame comprising parallel bars at its ends and pair of angle i-ronv tracks and a tube rigidly affixed to said bars andsheaves on said bars, sliding shoes engaged with said tracks and a weight suspended by acable in said tube, in combination with a sliding gate and flexible connections unit ing said gates and shoes and weight over said sheaves in series together.

3. A sliding elevator gate, a rigid frame having horizontal cross pieces at the ends and tracks with curved ends and a tube fixed thereon and said frame adapted to be mounted in the elevator shaft, sliding shoes on said tracks in flexible connection with sait gate and with each other, and a Weight slidable in said tube adapted to co-act with said shoes in operating said gate, in com bination with an elevator car having separate spring-pressed bolts adapted to engage said shoes and raise and lower said gate in the movement of said car.

Signed at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, this 13th day of hlarch, 1920.

ALBERT R. FLIGOR, 

